Automobile heater



} A, v. PELLET March 24, 193 6. I AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Dec. 11, 1934 N VII/- ?aterited Mar. 24, l3

aesaczic AUTQMQBEE WATER August V. Peilet, Chicago, El. Application December 11, 1934, Serial No. 756,959

10 Glaims.

The present invention relates to space heating apparatus and more particularly to a vapor heating system operated by the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine and especially adapted for heating automobiles, etc.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a vapor heating system of the exhaust heated type which will be self-regulating as to steam or vapor production and which will protect the boiler coils from unnecessary exposure to the direct action of the exhaust gases. Other objects are to obtain these advantages in a simple and economical manner and with a device thatcan readily be used with engine exhaust lines of conventional construction and also with heating cores or radiators now in common use for hot water systems, if desired.

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages that will appear from the more specific description to follow, are attained by providing means for moving the boiler coils into and out of direct contact with the engine exhaust, and, further, by providing for production of this movement automatically as the fluid pressure in the system varies. A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and claimed and is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where, t

Figure 1 is a plan view of the boiler chamber or casing embodying the invention with one section of the casing removed to expose the boiler coils and with the radiator circuit shown diagrammatically;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the boiler coils seen within the casing in Figure l;

Figure 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and 1 Q Figure 6 is a top or plan view of the boiler casing with an auxiliarylow pressure control thereon constituting a modified form of the invention.

In the particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes of disclosure, the vapor generating device, or boiler, is shown as connected in the vertical portion oi a length of exhaust pipe, the sections Ill and H p of which are seeninFigures 2 and'3. It will be understood that the sections of the exhaustline have been. disconnected at a flanged junction and the boiler; casing l2 mounted therebetween.-. Further illustration of the ordinary. automobile exhaust pipe in which the device is mounted,' and detailed illustration of the conventional circulating system and radiator or heating core which the generating apparatus to be described serves, is deemed unnecessary, this system and its radiator R being illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. l. 5

The casing i2 is preferably composed of two complemental sections or halves having circumferenti'al mating flanges l3 bolted together as shown to form a gas tight housing of generally flattened oval shape. Internally, the housing is 10 divided by a partition it into a central or fire chamber l5 and an outer or protected chamber IS. The central chamber is in direct communication with the inlet IB and outlet ll of the exhaust pipe and s, in fact, a portion thereof. The outer chamber i6 surrounds the chamber I5 and communicates therewith through a comparatively large opening in the wall at 11, shown as a square aperture surrounded by a seat or flange i8. At one side the casing is bored to admit suitable fittings for a steam or vapor conducting pipe I9 and liquid or water return pipe 20, these pipes leading to and from the heat radiating unit or, core R. located in the space to be heated. The tubes or pipes l9 and 20 and radiator R form part of a closed or hermetically sealed circuit containing a relatively small quantity of liquid, ordinarily water, which, when vaporized, generates fluid pressure within the system.

Within the casing l2 the outlet or steam pipe I9 is continued as a flattened tube 26' located in theouter chamber I6 and joined by a curved portion 2 I to a series of terminal or boiler coils 22 located in the opening I! in the partition separating the central and outer chambers of the casing. The curved portion 2i of the tube 2| is in effect a Bourdon tube. The portion of the boiler coils extending within the fire chamber I5 have secured thereto. a valve plate or door 23 of proper size to cover and close the aperture I1 when moved to its seat on the surrounding flange H3. The liquid return tube 20, being of much smaller diameter than the vapor tube i9, is preferably continued ithin the casing as a tube 26 inclosed within th tube l9 (Figs. 4 and 5) to the point at 24 where the two branch, the water tube preferably discharging into the coils 22 at a point removed from the forward face or coil which is most exposed to heat of the fire. chamber.

With the structure so far described, a practical and fully operative device is obtained. As" will be readily seen, generation of vapor in the coils 22 located in the stream oi exhaust gases will take place in a few seconds. As the pressure rises in the tube 2|, the curved portion it will 22 out of the fire chamber and into the outer chamber and. finally close the aperture l1 and completely isolate the boiler coils from direct efiects of the exhaust. As the internal fluid pressure falls, the .action is reversed. An automatically regulated degree of vapor pressure and therefore of heat content is accordingly maintained within the circulatingsystem while the boiler coils are not constantly being subjected to the destructive action of the exhaust gases.

In order to provide for manual control of the boiler coils when little or no steam generation is desired, the casing l2 may be provided with a suitable support or bracket 25 (Fig. 1) carrying a guide 26 for a pull wire 21 secured to a pull button 28 which may be on the dashboard 29 of an automobile. A lost motion slidable connection at 36 connects the wire 21 to a rod 3| loosely pivoted at its end to an ear 32 on the rearmost boiler coil. A light coil spring 33 normally extends the two sections of the lost motion connection but the rod 3| can move back when the wire is not under tension, and the gate 23 can therefore close automatically as first described. Tension on wire 21 will close aperture l1 and move the boiler coils into the protected or outer chamber Hi.

In order that the fluid pressure system disclosed may be used, if desired, with substances, such as mercury, vaporizing at a high degree of heat and producing low pressures, or with conventional hot water radiators which cannot safely be subjected to the comparatively high pressure of a steam system, the system can be provided with the auxiliary low pressure control shown in Figure 6. This will consist of a. tubular housing 35 mounted on the casing I2 and containing an ordinary bellows or sylphon tube 36 connected to the vapor tube 19 by the tube 31. Expansion of the bellows 36 is resisted by a coil spring 38 of predetermined tension and the bellows is connected by a pitman 39 with the shorter arm 40 of a bell-crank lever pivoted on the casing at 4|. The longer arm 42 of the lever is pivoted to a pull rod 43 which may connect to the boiler coils in the same manner as does the rod 3| seen in Figure 1. A cam lock 44 pivoted on arm 40 of the bell-crank may be provided to swing the lever out and close the aperture I! when heat is not desired. The structure just described is constructed to be responsive to fluid pressures lower than those required to actuate the Bourdon tube 2l but the mode of operation is otherwise the same. With this additional low pressure control, the device can be used with low pressure radiators of the hot water type and with substances having a high vaporizing point.

It will accordingly be seen that, in its broadest aspect, the invention resides in the provision of a sealed circulating system including a boiler portion adapted to contain a vaporizable substance, ordinarily a small quantity of water, which boiler is capable of being brought into or out of contact with hot exhaust gases, either automatically by changes in the fluid pressure within the system or by the use of manual control means.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising, a casing having a fire chamber for receiving hot exhaust gases and an outer chamber separated from the fire chamber by a. partition having a communicating opening tend to straighten thereby moving the boiler coils therein, a sealed vapor circulating system including a movable boiler element located in the outer chamber of the casing adjacent the communicating opening, a valve plate movable with the boiler element for closing said opening, and means responsive to changes in fluid pressure in the circulating system for moving the boiler element and valve plate to open and close said opening.

2. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising, a casing having a fire chamber for receiving hot exhaust gases and a communicating outer chamber, a sealed vapor circulating system including a boiler element, and a Bourdon tube in the outer chamber forming part of said system and carrying said boiler element in' position for movement towards and from the fire chamber, whereby expansion and contraction of the Bourdon tube by changes of fluid pressure in the circulating system will move the boiler element towards and from the fire chamber.

3. A vapor generator for operation by exhaust gases comprising, a casing having a fire chamber for receiving hot exhaust gases and a communicating outer chamber, a sealed vapor circulating system including a movable boiler element located in the casing and movable between the fire and outer chambers, and'a fluid pressure expansible element in communication with the circulating system and transmitting its movements to the boiler element, whereby expansion and contraction of the expansible element by changes of fluid pressure in the circulating system will move the boiler element towards and from the fire'chamber.

4. A vapor generator for operation by exhaust gases comprising, a casing having a fire chamher for receiving hot exhaust gases and a communicating outer chamber, a sealed vapor circulating system including a movable boiler element located in the casing and movable between the fire and outer chambers, and manually operable means for moving the boiler element.

5. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising, a sealed vapor circulating system including a movable boiler element, means for passing hot exhaust gases in contact with said boiler element comprising a casing having a chamber receiving the exhaust gases and into which the boiler element may be moved, and means governed by changes of fluid pressure in the circulating system for causing movement of said boiler element into and out of said chamber.

6. In a heater for motor vehicles, a casing adapted to be connected in the length of an engine exhaust pipe, said casing having an inner chamber adapted to form a part of the exhaust pipe and an outer chamber separated from the inner chamber by a partition having a communicating opening therein, a boiler element in the outer chamber forming part of a vapor generating and circulating system; means in the casing for controlling the admission of exhaust gases 'to the outer chamber through said opening comprising a movable closure for the opening, and means responsive to changes of fluid pressure in the circulating system for actuating said closure.

7. In a heater for motor vehicles, a casing adapted to be connected in the length of an engine exhaust pipe, said casing having a fire chamber adapted to form a part of the exhaust pipe and an outer chamber separated from the fire chamber by a partition having a communicating opening therein, a boiler element supported in 76 the'outer chamber for movement in said communicating opening towards and from the fire chamber, and means carried by the casing for causing said movements of the boiler element.

8. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising a heater having two communicating chambers one of which is adapted to receive the hot exhaust gases, a boiler element supported in the second chamber for movement into and out of the exhaust receiving chamber, a sealed circulating system including the boiler element and a radiator, and means responsive to changes in fluid pressure in the circulating system for causing the aforesaid movements of the boiler element.

9. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising, a heater having two communicating chambers separated by a partition having a communicating opening therein, one of which chambers is adapted to receive hot exhaust gases, a sealed vapor generating and conducting system including a flexible curved tube located in the second chamber with its end portion located adjacent the communicating opening, and means for automatically controlling the exhaust gases admitted by the opening comprising a movable closure valve therefor carried by said end portion of the curved tube, whereby changes in fluid pressure within said system tend to expand or contract the curve of said tube to correspondingly move the valve plate to and from the opening.

10. A vapor generator for operation by engine exhaust gases comprising, a sealed vapor circulating system including a movable boiler element, means for passing hot exhaust gases in contact with said boiler element, means for moving the boiler element into and out of the path of said gases, means mounted on the boiler element for shutting oil the exhaust gases from contact with said boiler element after a predetermined movement thereof, and means governed by changes of fluid pressure in the circulating system for actuating the boiler moving means.

' AUGUST V. PELLET. 

